Mazzaltov World News provides you with the latest live coverage of Current Affairs, Sports, Health, Weather, Entertainment, Business and Travel News from around the world.
Here’s where things stand on Saturday 12 July 2025:
- US President Donald Trump is on his way to visit Texas, where flash flooding has killed 120 people, with another 161 still missing
- The president and first lady Melania are expected to meet with first responders and families in Kerrville – here’s their plan for the day
- “Nobody can even believe it – that much water that fast,” Trump sa⁶id before leaving Washington
- As the BBC’s Bernd Debusmann Jr writes, the president is likely to face tough questioning about whether enough was done to alert residents of the dangers
- Last weekend, deadly storms ravaged central Texas, with several months’ worth of rain in a few hours. River levels rose, submerging homes, roads and cars
- At a Christian summer retreat for girls, Camp Mystic, at least 27 girls and staff were killed
Texans grateful for Trump’s visit after disaster
Several Texans and Trump supporters are grateful for the president’s visit in the wake of floods that killed at least 120 people in the state. Some supporters have been lining up today to watch his motorcade.
Trump’s hope to wind down Fema could be complicated by Texas floods
Trump has proposed dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), the US’s lead disaster response agency. The administration has stated a goal to start winding it down after this year’s hurricane season.
In June, Trump told reporters that “we want to wean off of Fema” and for states to take on more of the burden of disaster preparedness and response.
Some ex-Fema staffers believe transferring the federal-government level operations to individual states is impractical because few have the money, manpower, and logistics to accomplish a comparable response on their own.
“They said they wanted to return disaster response to the states, they said they wanted to phase out Fema, but what this disaster shows that within two days of the disaster happening, Texas was already asking for assistance,”, external former Fema press secretary Jeremy Edwards told the BBC.
“Texas is considered to be more capable in terms of disaster response.
“If a state like Texas is asking for assistance two days after a disaster, that really does not bode well for states that don’t have that capability.”
‘My heart felt like a burning rock in my chest’ – Mum of rescued boys
Keli Rabon’s sons were at Camp La Junta, an all-boys camp just five miles away from the all-girls Camp Mystic where at least 27 girls and staff died.
Rabon’s sons Braeden Davis, 9, and Brock, 7, were at the boys camp when the flooding began. One cabin door was blown off and a wall collapsed while they were inside.
The camp’s counsellors helped hoist the young boys onto the cabin’s ceiling and slowly evacuated them to higher ground.
The severity of the incident dawned on Rabon after she searched online for flooding in the area and saw reports about Camp Mystic.
When she saw the boys at a church being used for family reunification, it was across the street from a funeral home where other families were coming to identify bodies of their loved ones.
“Even before I could hug [my boys] I just started feeling survivors’ guilt immediately because there’s no difference between those girls and my boys,” Rabon told the BBC.
“My heart ached so hard it felt like a burning rock in my chest… It just feels selfish to say that I was so elated to see my boys because I understood how close I could have been to not ever seeing my boys again.”
News conference ends
The news conference has now finished.
Stick with us as we bring you recaps and analysis.
Abbott says Texas must ‘devise response’ for better warnings
Trump is asked what officials can they do in the future so that people in emergency weather situations can get alerts late at night, even if they don’t have phones or cell coverage.
Texas officials said efforts to warn residents were hampered by a patchwork of coverage along with other challenges.
“A thing like this has never happened,” Trump said, adding that they will “figure something out”.
Governor Abbott chimes in, saying they need to “devise a response” that is right for this community, and is not ruling out better alerts.
In Kerr County, there is no county-administered warning system because such systems are expensive.
Trump dismisses question on flood warnings
A journalist from the CBS News asks Trump about flood warnings, and whether they could have saved more lives had they been sent out earlier.
In the wake of the deadly tragedy, questions have been raised about whether adequate warnings were provided and why people weren’t evacuated ahead of the deluge.
“Only an evil person would ask a question like that,” Trump responds, saying it’s easy to sit back and wonder what could have happened
‘You never get over it,’ Dr Phil says of loss of a child
Dr Phil, a TV personality, is now speaking. He says that one of the worst situations a person can experience is the loss of a child.
“You never get over it, you get through it,” he says.
The roundtable has touched on Camp Mystic, where 26 girls sleeping in cabins died in the flood. Others are still missing.
More than 12,300 volunteers rushed to help search
The Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management Nimm Kidd is now speaking.
After thanking the president and first lady for being present, he says more than 12,300 volunteers arrived to help support the community, working 10 hours a day.
He adds that 19 other states have sent resources to help Texas overcome the floods.
I will be back, I promised to them – Melania Trump
aFirst Lady Melania Trump has now joined the president in offering her condolences.
“My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls,” she says. “We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you.”
She says she just met the families of the victims, and they hugged and prayed together. She says one of the family members gave her a bracelet from Camp Mystic which she shows to the camera.
“I will be back, I promised to them,” she says.
How do you give condolences to a parent who has lost a child, says Trump
Trump says he and Melania spent a lot of time with the families of victims, saying that was why he got delayed for the roundtable.
But he acknowledges the challenge in comforting people after such a loss.
“We just gave our warmest condolences but how do you give condolences” to someone who lost a vibrant young child who is no longer here, he says.
Not easy to find dozens of missing ‘precious children’ – Trump
Trump says there are still a lot of missing people and children.
“They are still looking,” he says solemnly.
He adds that it isn’t “easy” trying to find the “dozens” of “precious children” who were possibly swept away by the torrential downpour.
‘A little narrow river that becomes a monster’
Trump tells the table of officials that he and the first lady are in town to “express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation”.
He also praises the first responders, the sheriff, law enforcement and others and all they’ve done to help rescue people and deal with the aftermath of the floods.
He says this was the case of a “little narrow river that becomes a monster”.
This is a tough one, says Trump
Trump arrives at the Kerrville centre where he is hosting a roundtable with Texas politicians and first responders.
He starts by acknowledging the devastation of the last week.
“This is a tough one,” he says. “We were just making a little tour of the area, it’s hard to believe the devastation.”
He said he’s just come from visiting the families and this disaster site is unlike the ones he’s visited before.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
Trump arrives for roundtable with Texas officials and first responders
Trump has just arrived for a roundtable in Kerrville, where he will meet local officials and first responders who came face-to-face with the deadly floods last week.
There’s a big banner under the table with the slogan “Texas Strong” in the middle of it.
Multiple US flags are hung around the room – one is side-by-side with a large Texas flag, prominently in the centre of the room.
Latest figures as search continues: Over 120 dead, 160 missing
As we wait for President Trump’s arrival for the roundtable, here’s the latest update from local law enforcement and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The death toll from the flood stands at more than 120.
Kerr County, which includes Kerrville, absorbed the brunt of the devastation, with 95 confirmed deaths, including 36 children, many of whom attended Camp Mystic.
There are still 160 missing, mostly from Kerr County, and an intense search for them continues involving more than 2,000 volunteers and authorities.
Kerr County officials say they have not rescued anyone alive since the day of the floods, and teams with cadaver dogs are being sent out to recover bodies.
Beyond local emergency teams, Abbott said the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, border patrol, the National Guard and others are using their resources in the recovery process.
Volunteers who live in the region are searching the Guadalupe River and surrounding areas, wading through wreckage of cars and homes, and digging through hazardous, muddy debris to find the dead.
Dr Phil in Kerrville for Trump roundtable
Dr Phil is at the Kerrville roundtable, chatting with Senator Ted Cruz as they wait for Trump’s arrival.
The TV personality, whose full name is Phil McGraw, is an avid supporter of the president. He’s made several videos praising Trump, including one recently lauding the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”.
He was also recently embedded with Immigration and Customs Enforcement during their controversial immigration raids in Los Angeles.
A week after deadly floods, the search for the missing goes on
While we wait for President Trump’s roundtable with state officials, here’s a look at what the search and rescue mission looks like on the ground.
As reported earlier, at least 160 people are still missing, a week after flash floods swept through several towns in central Texas.
Authorities says they will not relent until everyone is accounted for.
Overturned tractor trailer among debrispublished at 20:3320:33
While talking with local officials, Trump stands a few feet away from debris from the storm.
That includes an overturned tractor trailer, lying amongst a large pile of branches.
Texas politicians wait for Trump’s arrival at roundtable
A group of Texas officials has arrived at the Kerrville roundtable – waiting for Donald Trump to arrive.
We can see Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, as well as Congressmen Dan Crenshaw and Brandon Gill.
Trump set to meet with local officials
We’re just waiting for US President Donald Trump to arrive at a roundtable meeting with officials in Kerrville.
Stick with us and we’ll bring you the latest when that happens.
President talks with local officials
Trump is currently speaking with local officials, alongside the first lady and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
One official they’re talking to is Kerville city manager Dalton Rice, near what appears to be trees downed by the flood, a fire engine and a map of the area.
Cheers as motorcade drives through Kerrville
The president’s motorcade has been driving through Kerrville, ahead of a meeting with first responders and local officials.
Cheers could be heard from residents lining the streets waiting for Trump
President shakes hands with Texas governor
After stepping off Marine One, Trump shakes hands with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
The president and first lady then enter a vehicle and drive off in a motorcade.
Trump and first lady arrive in Kerrville
President Trump and First Lady Melania have just landed in Kerrville.
As a reminder, you can watch live at the top of the page.
Locals prepare to welcome president
Ahead of Trump’s arrival, some Texas residents were busy creating welcome signs to greet him.
Others lined the streets, waving American flags.
Marine One heading to area impacted most by flooding
The US president is heading to Kerrville aboard the Marine One helicopter – around 65 miles (104 km) away from San Antonio, where he landed on Air Force One around half an hour ago.
Trump will be assesing the flood damage and will hold a roundtable with oficials and locals. As we just mentioned, he will be joined by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
A large majority of the deaths from last weekend’s flooding occured in Kerrville and the surrounding area. At least 120 people have been killed across Texas, with 161 still missing.
President will be joined by Texas governor and senators
Trump will be joined in Kerrville by Governor Greg Abbott and Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
All three have visited Kerrville and spoken about the devastating floods.
“Texas is grieving from a wound unlike any I’ve ever seen, and the Lone Star State needs everyone’s support,” Cruz posted on X.
Abbott has been giving regular updates on the number of dead and missing, including on a stop in Kerrville earlier this week.
At a news conference on Sunday, he said people in Texas were used to flash flood warnings, but there was no sense of how deadly this would be.
“There’s no expectation of a water wall of almost 30ft high,” he said.
In pictures: Trump and first lady arrive in Texas
We can share with you these pictures from on the tarmac after Donald and Melania Trump landed at Kelly Field air base in San Antonio.
Trump and Melania head to Kerrville aboard Marine One helicopter
Donald and Melania Trump have now boarded the Marine One helicopter.
Soon they will head towards Kerrville for an aerial tour of where a bulk of the flood’s destruction occurred.
Trump walks down Air Force One steps
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have just walked off Air Force One and are on their way to presidential helicopter, Marine One.
You can watch the scene in San Antonio by pressing watch live at the top of the page.
Trump has landed in Texas
US President Donald Trump has touched down in Texas.
He landed at an Air Force base in nearby San Antonio and will be traveling to Kerrville from there.
Wall of flowers to honour flood victims in Kerrville
Emergency management agency’s independence under scrutiny
In the aftermath of the floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) is under scrutiny as the Trump administration has made changes to how it operates.
A particular focus is on how much freedom the agency has to distribute funds.
CNN reports that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requires any Fema payment over $100,000 (£74,000) to receive her approval., external The Washington Post reports that rule may have led to a delay, external in resources during the Texas flood disaster.
$100,000 is an unusually low threshold for approval, according to Myra Shird, a 14-year veteran of Fema who left the agency last September, and has experience coordinating on the ground responses to natural disasters.
“Anything that small, and the secretary has to sign, and there’s a multi-state disaster? That’s a lot of signatures in line for things that normally would have been done differently,” she says.
“When I was on the ground… I notified people after $3 million, and I could sign [off on] up to $10 million. It depended on the disaster,” she tells the BBC.
How will Trump respond to the mood in Texas?
President Trump will shortly arrive in a state which has consistently voted for him.
It very much explains why he’s full of praise for Texas’ Republican Governor Greg Abbott, unlike his approach to California Governor Gavin Newsom when wildfires ripped through the Democratic-run state.
But there’s a real paradox here in Kerr County.
Donald Trump’s supporters back his cuts to the federal government agencies, yet they also want the government to help them rebuild.
There are reports Trump is now planning to move away from abolishing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
Presidents are often defined by the way they handle natural disasters and Trump is sensing the mood here. He may be once again moving the goalposts to fit the occasion.
Questions raised over what warnings residents received
With the death toll in Texas exceeding 120 people, questions are being raised about whether adequate flood warnings were provided and why people weren’t evacuated ahead of the deluge.
In the space of 45 minutes in the early hours of Friday morning, the Guadalupe River rose by 26ft (8m), causing it to burst its banks.
By then there had been several flood warnings issued, including from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS has said it was heartbroken at the loss following the floods, but that it did all it could, conducting briefings on Thursday and issuing a flood watch warning that afternoon.
People have reported receiving text message alerts on their mobile phones early on Friday morning, warning them of flooding. Some residents told the New York Times,, external they did not understand the seriousness of them and others said they never received any at all.
Before the tragedy, there had also been concerns over the Trump administration’s budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – the government agency that operates the NWS.
Influence of climate change cannot be ignored
While it is difficult to directly attribute the influence of our warming planet on one particular weather event – indeed we have seen flooding similar to last weekend’s event in the past – there are a few things to note when examining the role of climate change in flood disasters.
Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, where some of the air that contributed to these storms originated from, continue to be warmer than normal.
Warmer waters mean more evaporation and so more available moisture in the atmosphere for storms to tap into.
2024 was a record-breaking year for the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, according to Copernicus climate data, meaning more “fuel” for extreme rainfall events.
Climate scientists continue to remind us that such rainfall events as we have seen in Texas will become more frequent and more extreme as the planet warms.
A rare trip appearance from Melania Trump
Along with federal officials and politicians, today’s visit to Texas includes someone rarely seen on President Trump’s trips away from the White House: Melania Trump.
While the first lady is occasionally seen during White House events – some of which, like the Congressional Picnic, are planned with her input – it’s much more rare to see her travelling with her husband outside of Washington.
In a similar visit in January just days after he returned to the office, Melania also accompanied Trump to North Carolina to survey the damage after Hurricane Helene, as well as to California to tour the areas impacted by devastating wildfires.
She also accompanied him to the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Melania is, by White House standards, considered a very private first lady. Her presence on this trip is reflective of the scale of the disaster and the importance of the visit to the White House, which clearly seeks to use the president’s visit to place the focus on the families of those impacted by the storms.
In photos: Texas faces devastation from deadly flooding
The floods that swept south central Texas last week have killed at least 120 people, with 160 still missing.
First responders have had to navigate piles of debris as they search through the wreckage for survivors.
Trump likely to face tough questions on emergency alerts
We’ve only briefly had an on-camera glimpse of Donald Trump so far today, as he prepared to board Marine One, bound for Joint Base Andrews and his trip to Texas.
In those brief remarks on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump said that he’ll be meeting “some great families” – offering a glimpse into what we’re likely to hear later today.
The President and his allies have so far bristled at any suggestion that much could have been done to prevent the tragic loss of life in Texas. Trump described the flooding as a “once in every 200-year deal”, even if he did suggest that “alarms” could have helped.
But at a roundtable with state and local officials later, Trump is likely to face tough questioning about proposed changes to the Federal Emergency Management System, and whether enough was done to alert residents of the dangers. Questions are also likely to be asked about whether cuts or staffing issues at the National Weather Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in any way affected the emergency alerts.
Speaking alongside those local officials, Trump is most likely to seek to portray a unified front, and put the focus on both local families and the first responders who are still feverishly working to find those who remain missing.
Over $30m donated to Texas flood relief fund, local CEO says
A flood relief fund established to support Kerr County residents has already raised more than $30m since its launch on the morning of 4 July, according to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, the foundation’s CEO, Austin Dickson, said over 100,000 donors have contributed to the fund in just a matter of days.
“This is a moment of collective grief, but as someone who is part of the philanthropic response, I can tell you—it is also a moment of extraordinary love,” Dickson said.
US congressman Chip Roy, from Texas, also at the press conference, says that $5m from the community foundation has already been distributed.
The relief has taken several forms, including direct cash payments, gift cards, rental and utility assistance, and no-interest loans to help local businesses recover.
Kerr County officials were told flooding began an hour before they sent first alert
A Texas firefighter located upstream of the deadly floods in Kerr County asked if emergency flood alerts could be sent to residents about an hour before the first warnings were received, audio reveals.
In the recording, obtained by US outlets, the firefighter asks at 04:22 on 4 July if a CodeRED alert can be issued. The dispatcher replies that a supervisor needs to approve the request.
Residents didn’t begin receiving the alert until an hour later – for some it took up to six hours, according to reports.
In the recording of the firefighter’s dispatch call, the emergency responder can be heard saying: “The Guadalupe Schumacher sign is underwater on State Highway 39.
“Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?”
“Stand by, we have to get that approved with our supervisor,” the dispatcher replied.
Local officials are now facing mounting questions over when Kerrville’s residents were notified about deadly flash floods that killed 96 in Kerr County alone, with over 160 others still missing.
Asked about a possible police radio failure at a press conference on Thursday – almost a week after 4 July flooding – Kerrville Police community services officer Jonathan Lamb said, “I don’t have any information to that point.”
The questioning followed a tense exchange the day before when reporters asked officials repeatedly about a possible lag in emergency communications.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha earlier this week declined to offer specifics about timing, saying that officials were instead focused on rescue and recovery efforts.
Leitha said he was first notified around the “four to five area”, and told local media, “we’re in the process of trying to put a timeline” about what exactly happened in the pre-dawn hours.
“That’s going to take a little bit of time,” he told them. “That is not my priority this time.”
What’s the plan for today?
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are travelling on Air Force One to Kerrville, Texas where they are expected to survey the damage and recovery efforts from last weekend’s flash floods in central Texas.
In Kerrville, the town worst-affected by the disaster, the first family will participate in a roundtable with first responders and local officials including Governor Greg Abbott .
It is yet unclear if he will take questions about the state level and federal response after he has had a look.
Shortly after the disaster, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the area including Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp that was devastated by the flood.
Trump leaves White House for Texas
Trump is about to take off for Texas from Washington, and is speaking to reporters briefly before he leaves.
He says the floods are a “horrible thing”.
“Nobody can even believe it – that much water that fast,” he says. He notes he’s going to meet with affected families as well as the state’s Governor Greg Abbott.
Why the Texas floods were so devastating
The torrential rain that brought destruction to a children’s summer camp and other holiday spots in rural Texas came with devastating speed.
Water came crashing through the stone cabins of Camp Mystic in the early hours of Friday with little warning as the girls and staff slept.
The Guadalupe River had burst its banks after months of rain fell in just a few hours, a freak weather event described by officials as a “100-year catastrophe”.
Trump heads to Texas a week after deadly floods
A week after major flash flooding struck central Texas over the 4 July holiday weekend, more than 160 people are still missing, according to authorities, with 120 people killed.
What started as a torrential downpour caused the local Guadalupe River to swell, submerging roads, cars, and homes. As the fast currents rapidly rose, it also swept away local residents.
Ninety six of the deaths were in Kerr County, Texas, including several young girls staying at a nearby camp. Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls’ summer camp, confirmed at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead.
In the days that followed, a massive rescue operation descended on Texas, as emergency teams came across the Southern border from Mexico to help in the rescue effort.
Questions have mounted over whether residents in the area received ample warning that the water was coming.
Now, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are headed to the hardest-hit area to meet with local officials and see some of the devastation for themselves.
They’re expected to arrive late morning local time. Stay with us, we’ll bring you all the top lines from the visit.